Volunteers with The Back Door Youth For Christ drop-in centre in Carman are about to embark on a major expansion project.

After years of planning, efforts are set to begin to raise $1 million for a nearly 4,400 square foot addition just south of the current facility located on Main Street. The Board purchased the lot about two years ago.

Director Tyler Friesen said this expansion, which would triple the usable square footage of the centre, is badly needed.

"When you have thirty-five kids in here in the middle of winter, and you can't go burn some energy on the basketball court out-back, it gets a little congested having real conversation, and trying to build those relationships becomes a little more difficult."

The hope is the addition will serve as a recreation space to host movie nights, dinner functions for the youth on special occasions and holidays, and indoor sports programs year-long. Friesen added during the summer, one of the most popular pieces at The Back Door is the outdoor basketball court.

"There's probably a small chunk of guys that don't come most of the winter because there's no basketball. So if we would have a space where we could shoot hoops all winter long, that would be helpful and (we wouldn't) miss those long winter months (of) being able to pour into those kids as well."

Friesen also feels the extra room would help create a better atmosphere in the current building which will eventually be converted into a coffee house-style setting.

Stevie Jeske, who runs the girls program at the centre, agrees.

Trent Kemsley, Tyler Friesen, Stevie Jeske and Janine Lodder

"Girls are very relational, they want to sit down and talk to you. Often they want to go into my office to talk, because if you're sitting on the couches a ping-pong ball will come flying at them."

Jeske also thinks this addition would help facilitate more programming, which would in turn, bring more kids through the doors. The Back Door already hosts between 60 and 100 youth each week.

The board plans to start work in the next few weeks to generate the required $1 million for the project. Directors will set up meetings with local businesses and other stakeholders to hopefully establish some financial partnerships.

"We have been so blessed by this community," added Jeske. "It has been incredible how supportive they are in a variety of ways, but financially they have always been incredibly generous. So just a 'thank-you' to them."

Meantime, Director Janine Lodder added the Board would like to see another staff member hired at the drop-in centre.

"We have a good female group...at this time, but it would be really nice if Tyler could have someone he could also bounce ideas off of, and be here when he can't be."

"We've been hoping and praying for one for a lot of years, and we're hoping that would, too, be blessed," added Lodder.